Yu-Gi-Oh GX-Zal
by SaurusRock625
Summary: Astral is given physical form and is favored by everyone who Yuma once considered precious to him. After meeting the King of Games, how will his life change?
1. Chapter 1

_**This particular idea had come to me in a dream a few weeks ago, and I thought it would be a good story to write for everyone. Also, this is going to be my first Yuma centric story, so if I get his personality down wrong, blame my lack of watching Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal. Anyway, I hope you guys at least like the idea. If it gets enough reviews that like the idea, like say… ten reviews. Then I'll consider continuing it.**_

 _ ***I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal or Yu-Gi-Oh GX!***_

* * *

"Stardust Dragon!" = Normal Speech

 _'Stardust Dragon!' = Thoughts_

 _(Stardust Dragon [Monster\Synchro\Effect] Dragon/Wind [8]_ _ **ATK: 2500/**_ _DEF: 2000) = Monster Card Stats_

" **Stardust Dragon!" = Someone Yelling**

* * *

 _ **Yuma's Sorrow! Meeting The King Of Games!**_

* * *

It was a dark and stormy night in Domino City, the rain pouring down so hard it'd feel like a mixture of ice cold broken glass and razor blades. With a little bit of bullet shrapnel in the mix. And walking home from the hospital that very same night was none other than Yugi Moto, the King of Games himself.

His wife, Teá, had just given birth to their daughter and was resting in the hospital now. Just thinking back to when he first held his daughter in his arms made Yugi cry tears of joy. He was a father at long last. He just hoped that he would be a good father, and not be like his own dad who left soon after Yugi was born. Anyway, as he was walking home, Yugi noticed that someone was on their knees out in the rain.

It struck him as odd and highly idiotic that someone would be out in THIS kind of weather without a coat and umbrella. But as he got closer, he saw that it was just a kid.

The kid seemed to be around thirteen years old, and was obviously a boy. His skin seemed a little on the pale side, and his black and red hair was matted down from the heavy rain pouring down on him. The poor boy was clearly soaked to the bone, and he looked like he was going to be sick for a month after being out in the rain for so long. But the thing that stuck out the most to Yugi was what this mysterious boy was really doing out here.

This boy… he's crying!

Yugi immediately rushed to the boy and shielded him from the rain with his umbrella. A brief reprieve from the rain seemed like just the thing he needed at a time like this.

"Hey, are you okay? What are you doing out here in the rain, child? Where are your parents?" Yugi asked.

The boy looked up at Yugi with sad and teary red eyes. The visible bags under them and the slight sunken nature told Yugi enough to know that this child had been neglected at best. Abused at worst.

"Perhaps we should begin with introductions. I'm Yugi Moto, and you are?"

The boy sniffled as he tried to keep his tears at bay. Unsuccessfully, I might add. He really didn't want to talk about anything right now. Not even his name. But he did anyway.

"My name is… Yuma."

* * *

 _ ***Earlier That Same Day…***_

* * *

 _ **Yuma's POV.**_

I am SO not feeling the flow anymore. This whole month has been rotten to the core for me ever since that stupid Astral appeared and took over my life! At first, it wasn't so bad having him around once he had somehow been given a physical body, because it was like having a brother. And in a house where you're the only male child in the family, it's utter torture to be surrounded by all that estrogen.

But soon enough, my sister and grandma began paying more and more attention to Astral than they did to me. I thought, okay, no problem. They were probably just trying to make him feel welcome in our home. But then my friends, Bronk and Tori, wanted to hang out with Astral and do things HE wanted to do! My ideas were never even considered anymore!

I also thought that this would soon blow over. Astral was still relatively new and they probably wanted to make a good impression. But deep in my heart, I knew this wasn't true.

I was slowly but surely being replaced for Astral by all of those I held dear to me. My family, my friends… they all completely forgot me and chose to stick with the dueling prodigy known as Astral. Well, I don't care anymore!

One month later, today, rather than going to school like I do every day, I skipped so that I could get all of my affairs in order. I first walked to the deepest river in town and saw that it had become even more wild and deep than it used to be. I guess it rained upstream. I considered just jumping in and ending it all, but all that'd do is prove that I had no will to survive.

Instead, I took the key I always kept around my neck and looked at it with deep hatred. This thing brough Astral about and ruined my life, so why should I keep it around at all? I reared my arm back and chucked it as far as it would go into the river! I watched with great satisfaction as it was washed away in the currents.

' _Good riddance!'_

The last thing I did was take the cards that I had, Utopia included, and left them back in my - no, ASTRAL'S room. After sneaking back home, of course.

Finally, I just kept walking around aimlessly. Even as the rain began to pour down like a torrent of hatred and sadness, as were the only emotions I really felt much of anymore. I couldn't help myself. After all the shit I've had to put up with this month, I just let all my anger and sorrow out in the only way I knew how.

I started to cry.

I collapsed to my knees as my tears mixed with the cold, unforgiving rain. Good. I don't want anyone to really know that I'm crying like this. Didn't want people to see what a failure I really was. A failure of a duelist. A failure of a son. A worthless human being.

I was surprised to find myself being shielded from the rain with what I assume to be an umbrella. I don't know who it is, but I am at least grateful for the brief relief from the cold, pounding rain that's been falling for a long time today..

"Hey, are you okay? What are you doing out here in the rain, child? Where are your parents?" a man's voice asked.

I looked up at the stranger to ask why he would care, but I was in for quite the surprise. And although I'm not outwardly showing it, it really is a great surprise. Looking back at me was none other than the King of Games himself! I've always wanted to meet him in person, and here I am right now, doing just that!

"Perhaps we should begin with introductions. I'm Yugi Moto, and you are?"

I just sniffled as I tried to keep my tears at bay. Unsuccessfully, I might add. I don't know what compelled me to answer him. Maybe it was my longing for real social interaction with someone who wouldn't just abandon me for Astral. Maybe it was the Egyptian Gods working their hocus pocus. Either way, I gave him my name. Not like it matters anyway.

"My name is… Yuma."

* * *

 _ ***To Be Continued…***_

* * *

 _ **Remember, everyone, I'll only continue this story if I get what I feel is a substantial amount of reviews for this chapter. Now, I'm off to work on both the new chapter for God Among Vikings and its cover art. Wish me luck, and I'll see you all in my next chapter! Bye!**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Okay then, as per popular demand, it would seem as though I am continuing this story regardless of what roadblocks I may hit. Also, for those of you who are wondering, Yuma will not be using XYZ monsters in this story. I have a much better plan in store for him. But anyway, I hope you all like the new chapter. So, read on and enjoy!**_

 _ ***I still don't own Yu-Gi-Oh GX or Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal!***_

* * *

 _ **Filler Chapter!**_

* * *

"Well, here we are." Yugi said as he and Yma entered his family game shop, which doubled as a house. "You go ahead and get ready to take a hot shower while I get you something to wear. I'm certain some of my old hand me downs will fit you."

Yuma wordlessly nodded at the older man and set his deck case on the kitchen counter to dry. He then proceeded to dry his hands off and open the case after drying that off with a separate towel. Once it was opened, he took out a set of two cards. Both of them depicted dragon monsters, but the two couldn't be any more different from one another.

And Yugi took notice of the two cards that the lad was holding and knew that he shouldn't pry, but his curiosity over the cards lead him to speaking up about it.

"You're a duelist?" he asked, though it sounded more like a statement.

Yuma sighed sadly at those words.

"I'm no duelist. Not anymore. The one who ruined my life has the cards I once called my own, and I felt these two reach out to me. Don't ask me why, because as far as I'm concerned, I'm TERRIBLE at this game." Yuma said in his depression.

Raising an eyebrow at those words, Yugi walked over and asked if he could see the cards. Yuma obliged, feeling it wouldn't really change a thing. What Yugi saw really surprised him.

"Light And Darkness Dragon as well as Stardust Dragon, eh?" Yugi asked. "These look like some very rare and powerful cards."

"They came in a pack I bought a couple of months ago, but I don't know anything about building decks on my own, so I was never able to use either of them in a duel. Not to mention I'm worse at dueling than a monkey." Yuma said.

Yugi chuckled, finding that whole dueling monkey thing to be both funny, and ironic. If Joey heard that comment, he'd probably flip out in a fit of rage. Still, he knew of a way to help out Yuma with his deck situation. Hey, he runs a game shop. It has its advantages.

"Yuma, I've left a change of clothes on the sink in the bathroom, along with a clean towel. Go ahead and get yourself clean and warmed up. The bathroom is up the stairs, down the hall and is the first door on the right." Yugi said.

Yuma shivered a bit as he was reminded of how cold he was from the rain beating down on him earlier. Perhaps a nice hot shower would do him some good. So, he followed Yugi's instructions and headed for the bathroom to get himself cleaned up.

* * *

 _ ***To Be Continued…***_

* * *

 _ **Sorry it's so short, but it IS just a filler chapter. Anyway, we probably won't be seeing any more chapters of this until after I can build a suitable deck for Yuma using cards that I buy and test on YGOPro. Hope you guys don't mind. But for now, I hope you at least enjoyed this chapter.**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Hi everyone, it's me again! I know that it's been quite some time since we've had a chapter of this, but I had a hard time both figuring out a good deck for Yuma to build while also thinking up material to use for the chapter. I've been fiddling with different cards and deck types, but I just wanted to clear up one thing. And that would be…**_

 _ **YUMA IS NOT GOING TO HAVE UTOPIA OR ANY OTHER XYZ MONSTER IN THIS STORY! HE USES SYNCHRO MONSTERS LIKE STARDUST DRAGON, AND THAT'S FINAL!**_

 _ ***Whew!* Okay, I'm cool now. Sorry for yelling, but I just feel very strongly about this.**_

 _ ***I still don't own Yu-Gi-Oh GX or Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal! So please don't ask about that, otherwise Yuma wouldn't have started out as a lousier duelist than Joey was when he first started out!***_

* * *

 _ **A Legend of Numbers and Dragons!**_

* * *

"Alright, Yugi, what's this about?"

Gathered in the family room of Yugi's home after Tea and his child arrived home from the hospital were several members of the gang. Namely Joey, Tristan, Bakura, Mai, Marik, Ishizu, Seto Kaiba, and his brother Mokuba. Yugi's grandfather wasn't present yet because he hasn't returned from one of his latest expeditions in Egypt yet. But Yugi's not worried. He knows his grandpa may be old, but he's neither senile, nor is he frail or easy to kill.

The old timer has proven that to be true on more than one occasion.

But the Kaiba brothers are still working hard to make sure things at Kaiba Corp. run smoothly and new improvements can be made to the Duel Monsters Solid Vision system and keep the game interesting. He and Pegasus had recently created a form of summoning that was meant to be as strong, if not stronger, than the XYZ Summon style that most young duelists are using nowadays. They call it Synchro Summoning.

But while they're at this little get together at Yugi's place, the bane of Seto's existence is busy piling up on his desk. And that bane of his existence is… paperwork! Honestly, every day it's the same thing with that stuff, and if Seto's being honest, he needs a day off!

"Kaiba, you and Pegasus created a special set of cards for your Synchro Summon style of dueling, correct?" Yugi asked.

"Yes, but what does that have to do with anything?" Seto asked impatiently.

"It may interest you to know that I've found one of the six duelists who have been chosen by those cards. And he's resting here in this very house." Yugi replied.

"WHAT?! Are you pulling my leg here, Yugi?!" gasped Seto.

In response to this, Yugi walked over to the counter and opened Yuma's deck case, taking out the Stardust Dragon card from within it. After showing it to Seto, the man was more than convinced that this trip was worth having to do a little extra paperwork when he got back to the office.

"Well, I'm convinced." Seto said simply.

"Hold up, Yuge, what's the big deal about that card?" Joey asked before adding "I mean, it's not like there's any real threat that comes with it, right?"

"Knowing our luck, that's most likely the case, Old Chap." Bakura interjected.

"Bakura is correct, Wheeler. The Stardust Dragon along with five other dragons are the spiritual companions of people called 'The Signers'. Ancient warriors who fought alongside these dragons against threats rivaling Zorc Necrophades in the times of ancient Egypt. However, Pegasus speculates that these dragons are more closely aligned to the ancient culture of the Mayans. There are six dragons in all, including Stardust Dragon."

As Yugi put the card away, Seto took a moment to take a sip of the coffee that Yugi had so graciously provided for his guests, knowing that they might need the extra boost of caffeine that day.

"Together, the Signers and their dragons managed to defeat numerous threats like the Earthbound Immortals, the Meklords, and the Number Monsters. The Number Monsters had one in their ranks who was particularly powerful and said to be their leader in the war against the Signers. Its power rivaled that of the Stardust Dragon, and it even almost destroyed both Stardust and its Signer partner at the time. This monster was known as Number 39: Utopia."

Unknown to Seto and the others, Yuma was listening in on their talk from the top of the stairs and froze on the spot. That's the same monster he used on the day that Astral was given a physical body! Before he got his Light and Darkness Dragon and his Stardust Dragon. But what does this mean for him?

How could he have been supposedly chosen by a Signer Dragon, when he had already used the power of its sworn enemy? Was it because he was no longer connected to Astral and left those cards behind? If that was the case, then he was glad that he did. He wants nothing to do with anything connected to Astral ever again!

"But if Stardust Dragon and the other Signer Dragons were recreated as cards, then does that mean that the Number Cards are back too?" Tea asked, holding her sleeping daughter closer.

"I'm afraid so. Mokuba has been going over the recordings of past duels and has seen many instances where Number Cards were used in duels against those who either had them as well, or didn't have them. Every duel involving the Number Cards gets more and more ferocious every time." Seto replied.

He begins to have small flashbacks of duels occurring where those who possess Number cards have become so corrupt and vile from the power of the monsters on those cards that they've actually hospitalized or sometimes killed an opponent.

"And if the six Signers are not found and united in this modern era, then I fear that those Number Monsters will mean the complete and utter extinction of humanity." Seto said grimly.

"But you said there are six of these Signers and that this kid Yugi's taken in is one of them. But how do we know if someone's a Signer besides them having one of the dragons?" Tristan asked.

"I called Pegasus and told him about the situation with the Signers and the Number Cards, and he told me that he learned something about them from an ancient text he found in some Mayan ruins. Each Number Card, when used by someone, displays their number in a stylized glowing tattoo on the back of their wielder's hands. Whereas with the Signers, a person chosen by one of these Dragons gains a mark of something called the Crimson Dragon. These marks that we know of include the dragon's head, the tip of its tail, the claws, and the wings." Kaiba explained.

"But there are six dragons. What's the sixth mark of the Crimson Dragon look like?" Joey asked.

Kaiba shrugged and made a noise that suggested he doesn't know before pulling out his laptop and accessing the files he has of the six Signer Dragons, each one depicting their image on a stone slab just like the monsters in Ancient Egypt.

"But Pegasus did tell me the names of the six Dragons. Yugi has already told you all about the leader of these Dragons, and the one with the most potential, Stardust Dragon. The remaining five include the Red Dragon Archfiend, the Ancient Fairy Dragon, the Black Rose Dragon, the Black-Winged Dragon, and the Lifestream Dragon." Kaiba said. "Of course, the Stardust Dragon is the only one among these dragons who has been made into a card so far. The others still need to be discovered by myself and Pegasus so we can give them their card and make some Tuner monsters to go with them. That's one of the reasons I'm here."

Kaiba turned to Yugi and handed him an envelope that read TOP SECRET across the whole thing in bold red letters.

"That envelope contains a set of Tuner monsters that will help this kid build a unique deck all their own. Give them to Stardust Dragon's card holder and help teach them a few dueling skills whenever you have free time." Kaiba said before looking to Tea. "Though, given the recent birth of you and Tea's child, the possibility of you teaching anybody how to duel like a pro seems highly unlikely."

"Yes. Our little one is going to be keeping us both quite busy for a while. But not to worry, we'll have all the help we'll need right here." Yugi replied.

Tea raised an eyebrow as she wondered what her husband meant by that. Did he take the time to hire a nanny for them? With the money he makes both from running the Game Shop and Pro Dueling, she supposed it was possible for him to do that. She just wished that he had talked to her about it first. Unless he's talking about...

"You can come in and say hello to everyone, Yuma. I know you're there. I can hear your anxious breathing." Yugi said, getting everyone to look out into the hall.

Walking into the room looking anxious as ever was young Yuma. He gave a nervous wave to everyone as he tried not to stutter in the presence of one of the greatest duelists in the world besides Yugi.

"Uh… hi. I'm Yuma… and I… guess I'm a Signer." he said, feeling awkward about this whole thing.

Tea looked at her husband and wondered why he brought this kid to their house, but he gave her a look that said all would be explained momentarily. So, getting up slowly and carefully so as not to wake her daughter, Tea walked over to Yuma and placed a hand on the nervous boy's shoulder.

"Well, hello there, Yuma. It's nice to meet you. I'm Tea Moto, Yugi's wife. And this is our daughter, Hope."

Yuma got a good look at the newborn baby girl, and he had to say, she was just so gosh darn adorable! She was sleeping right now, so he couldn't see her eye color, but he could tell that the baby's skin was a perfect blend of both her parents', she had a cute button nose, and she had the same tri-color hair as Yugi's. However, as it was just a little bit of hair on her head right now, it's too early to tell if it would turn out to look more like Yugi's hairstyle or Tea's.

"She's such a beautiful baby." Yuma said, finding himself a lot calmer now.

"Thank you." Tea responded.

She lead him to the couch and had him sit between her and Yugi as she carefully adjusted Hope in her arms so she'd be more comfortable.

"Now, tell us, what are you doing here at this hour? Do your parents know where you are?" she asked.

Upon being asked about those he considers his former family, Yuma started getting depressed again. Seeing how depressed he was, Tea began to wonder if that was not the right thing to ask. But Yuma just looked up and said a single thing to them.

"They… don't consider me family anymore. And I doubt they ever did."

"Don't consider you family? What do you mean?" Bakura asked.

Yuma didn't want to answer, but he could feel this… other presence in the room providing him comfort and encouragement. Two of them, in fact. It was like he had two really good friends giving him a gentle push in the right direction. Helping him break down these barriers he erected around himself to hide his emotional pain and talk to someone about his pain rather than keeping it bottled up inside. And it was through this little push that Yuma began to explain how his life just began going downhill.

"It all started with a duel I was in recently with a guy called Shark."

He went on to explain how Shark had dueled a former friend of his by the name of Gronk and stole his deck after Gronk had lost. Then Yuma had dueled Shark to win back Gronk's deck and how he'd barely managed to beat him with aid from a spirit named Astral, who tried to guide him through the duel in a manner that was both rude and condescending. Something Joey didn't like at all. And neither did Yugi, for that manner. When he and Atem shared the same body and mind, he was never a jerk about it and was more of a brother to Yugi than just a spirit that inhabited the Millennium Puzzle.

Yuma also went on to explain how after the duel, Astral was somehow given a flesh and blood body and how everyone just seemed to completely forget about him or treat him like garbage. Eventually, Yuma had enough. He told about how he threw away that accursed key that brought Astral about, left those cards behind and never looked back.

By the end of the explanation, he was emotionally spent. He could talk about no more.

"Why don't you go on upstairs and get some rest, Yuma. We need to talk about some things for a moment." Yugi suggested.

Not really feeling like trying to argue, not that he would have anyway, Yuma wordlessly got up and bid a silent good night before heading upstairs to the guest room. Once they were sure he was gone, Yugi turned to look at Kaiba and asked a simple question that immediately told Kaiba that Yugi was up to the task.

"Tell me, Kaiba, how does Synchro summoning work?"

It looks like the King of Games has himself a new apprentice. And that apprentice is about to usher in a new age of Duel Monsters. And fight in a war against powerful beings that are hellbent on destroying the universe!

* * *

 _ ***To Be Continued…***_

* * *

 _ **Pairing for Yuma: Harem (Taking suggestions. Minimum five girls.)**_

 _ **Known Signers and their Dragons: Yuma (Stardust Dragon)**_

* * *

 _ **I know this chapter feels sloppy and rushed, but I've been in a creative slump with all of my stories. And I'm trying to think of a way to make an efficient deck that combines the Stardust Dragon with the Light and Darkness Dragon due to both of them being just a couple of Yuma's Duel Spirits. If anyone has any suggestions for the harem, please let me know in your reviews. Remember, it's a minimum of five girls. And if you have anyone you'd like to become a Signer, please tell me who it is and which Signer Dragon it would be (sans Stardust Dragon) and I will consider it. Until next chapter. Catch ya later.**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Okay, it seems I didn't make myself quite clear last chapter. The harem in this story will only be comprised of girls from the Yu-Gi-Oh franchise. Not from other anime or manga involving card games. So please, don't suggest such things again. Please stick with Yu-Gi-Oh girls from here on out. I might do slight crossovers with other franchises in the future, but not right now. But for now, without further ado, back to the story.**_

 _ **Also, just a quick side note, Duel Academy will be considered a college in this story. So the characters will be a bit older than they are in canon. Meaning Yuma and everyone else are now eighteen years old in this story.**_

 _ ***I still don't own Yu-Gi-Oh GX, Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds, or Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal!***_

* * *

 _ ***Dialogue Key***_

* * *

"Stardust Dragon!" = Normal Speech

 _'Stardust Dragon!' = Thoughts_

 _(Stardust Dragon [Monster\Synchro\Effect] Dragon/Wind [8]_ _ **ATK: 2500/**_ _DEF: 2000) = Monster Card Stats_

" **Stardust Dragon!" = Someone Yelling**

* * *

 _ **Entrance Exam!**_

* * *

Five years have passed since Yuma was taken in by Yugi and his family. Since then, he's become both a better duelist and a better person overall due to the teachings that Yugi passed down to him. Why, with his old family having practically abandoned him, Yuma was pretty much adopted into Yugi's family and became a great older brother for little Hope. Thanks to Yugi teaching him how to duel, Yuma has become something of a master at the Synchro summoning arts. He's able to hold his own against Yugi, but has yet to challenge him for his title King of Games.

But speaking of duels, today is the day where Yuma takes his first step towards becoming a Pro Duelist. And that's by going to Duel Academy and learning all he can before entering tournaments and eventually making it in the Pro Leagues. He'll make a name for himself as the greatest Synchro duelist to ever live. All while putting his trust in the Heart of the Cards.

Speaking of cards, it would seem as though Astral has been making a name for himself among the XYZ card users at his old school. So far, he has yet to lose a duel using Utopia, but he's far from invincible. No Duel Monsters player has ever been unbeatable. Even Yugi has had his own losses in the past. So Yuma understands that, eventually, someone will come around and knock that guy off his high horse.

"Morning, everyone!" Yuma greeted as he walked into the kitchen.

He was currently dressed in a pair of blue jeans with a worn tear in the left knee, a black muscle shirt that showed off his lean and compact muscles on his arms, a pair of brown biker gloves, and a brown belt that he has his deck case clipped to. He also has a basic Battle City Duel Disk strapped to his arm.

"Morning, Yuma. You ready for your entrance exam for Duel Academy?" Tea asked.

"As I'll ever be. If I recall, Kaiba said something about me having to take a special kind of exam for my entrance into Duel Academy." Yuma replied as he made himself a cup of coffee.

"You're gonna beat 'em good, big bro!" bleated Hope.

Hope has grown into a very bright and happy five year old girl, and as she aged, it seems as though she inherited much from her mother. Her eyes are the same color as Tea, her hair is in the same style even though it has her father's tri-colored look, and she even has Tea's ambition to become a professional dancer. Although, she wants to become a dancing duelist so she can be the best of both worlds.

Yuma chuckled at his surrogate little sister's enthusiasm and ruffled her hair in response, making her pout adorably. Back with his former family, Yuma's older sister wasn't really much of a sister to him while growing up and often treated him with indifference which later turned to outright neglect. And he was determined to never be like that to Hope. Upon being taken in by Yugi and his family, he had vowed to be the best big brother that Hope could have ever asked for. Even if it meant dying to protect her from the dangers that are sure to rise up with the Signers returning to this world.

Those Number cards are one of the key puzzle pieces. Just how many are there in total? And what would happen if they were to ever be gathered in one place? The results would likely be catastrophic.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Squirt." Yuma said affectionately.

Yugi was disturbed from his morning paper by a certain little family pet, their smarter than the average basset hound, Rex, nudging Yugi's arm. Right by his watch. This caused the King of Games to look at his watch and see that there were only forty five minutes left to get to the Kaiba Dome in time for the exams.

"Oh! Thanks, Rex. Hey, all, we better get going or Yuma will be late for his exam. I want to get there early so we can get good seats to watch." Yugi said.

"Good idea, Yugi. Just let me comb mine and Hope's hair real quick and we can leave." Tea replied. "And Yuma? Don't forget your deck. You don't want to get there and not be able to duel because you don't have your deck."

That made Yuma choke on his coffee and begin coughing up a storm next to Hope, who started hitting her brother's back to try and help him stop coughing. When he finally managed to get his cough under control, he gave a light glare as he was reminded of when he forgot his deck at home one tournament and almost couldn't enter, had Yugi not had it on his person.

"Oh, one time! ONE time! ONE darn time!" rasped Yuma.

"Still, you did it." Tea said dismissively.

Though, it wasn't the same dismissive attitude Yuma often got from his former sister. This was more like the playful dismissal of a mother playing with her child and having a little fun. As proven by Tea smirking at Yuma and giving him a playful wink.

But just to ease their minds, and his, Yuma removed his deck case from his belt and double checked it just to make sure that his deck was actually in there this time. Seeing that it was in there this time, Yuma sighed in relief and clipped it back to his belt. Knowing they were in the clear, Yugi got up so he could take Rex on one last walk before they leave, allowing Yuma to finish getting ready himself.

Knowing that there wouldn't be much left in the form of conversation, Yuma hurried up to his room to put on a few last minute additions to his outfit. Now, he also wore a pair of small brown belts around his biceps, a dark blue leather jacket with the sleeves torn off, and a pair of brown combat boots. Nodding to himself, Yuma started for the door with the full intent of getting into Duel Academy and becoming the greatest duelist who ever lived. After Yugi, of course.

"This is it, Yuma. No turning back now." he said to himself.

With his spirits high and his deck ready, Yuma made his way to the van parked outside of the game shop to wait for the others.

* * *

 _ ***To Be Continued…***_

* * *

 _ **Story Pairing: Yuma x Alexis R. (Four more girls to be announced.)**_

 _ **Current Signers and their Dragons: Yuma (Stardust Dragon) (Five more to be announced)**_

* * *

 _ **Okay, for Yuma's entrance duel, I need to know. Do you guys think he should duel against Astral in a duel to decide which of the two will get admitted into Duel Academy? Or should he just duel against Doctor Crowler? Whoever gets the majority vote will be the one I use. This will also give me an opportunity to fine tune Yuma's deck.**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Okay, the deck has been fine tuned and we're ready to get underway. And it seems like, by popular vote, Doctor Crowler is the one who shall be dueling Yuma. However, I don't plan on having him as one of this story's main antagonists. That role shall go to the creepy little french guy, Napoleon Bonaparte. But for now, enjoy the show.**_

 _ ***I still don't own Yu-Gi-Oh GX, Yu-Gi-Oh 5D'S, or Yu-Gi-Oh ZEXAL!***_

* * *

 _ **Dialogue Key**_

* * *

"Stardust Dragon!" = Normal Speech

 _'Stardust Dragon!' = Thoughts_

 _(Stardust Dragon [Monster/Synchro/Effect] Dragon/ WIND [8]_ _ **ATK: 2500/**_ _DEF: 2000) = Monster Card Stats_

 **"Stardust Dragon!" = Someone Yelling**

* * *

 _ **Yuma's Deck (40 Cards)**_

* * *

 _ **Monster Cards**_

 _Light and Darkness Dragon_

 _Turret Warrior_

 _Max Warrior_

 _Road Synchron_

 _Healing Wave Generator_

 _Zero Gardna_

 _Junk Synchron_

 _Shield Warrior_

 _Gauntlet Warrior_

 _Tricular_

 _Speed Warrior_

 _Quillbolt Hedgehog_

 _Nitro Synchron_

 _Bicular_

 _Card Breaker_

 _Shield Wing_

 _Sonic Chick_

 _Junkuriboh_

 _Turbo Synchron_

 _Turbo Booster_

* * *

 _ **Spell Cards**_

 _One for One_

 _Double Summon_

 _Advance Draw_

 _Card Rotator_

 _Monster Reborn_

 _Tuning_

 _Domino Effect_

 _Fighting Spirit_

 _Silver Wing_

 _Junk Barrage_

 _Prevention Star_

* * *

 _ **Trap Cards**_

 _Spirit Force_

 _Defense Draw_

 _Stardust Flash_

 _Give and Take_

 _Equip Shot_

 _Jar of Greed_

 _Urgent Tuning_

 _Scrap-Iron Scarecrow_

 _Graceful Revival_

 _ **Extra Deck**_

* * *

 _Road Warrior_

 _Stardust Dragon_

 _Nitro Warrior_

 _Turbo Warrior_

 _Junk Warrior_

* * *

 _ **Test Duel - Let's Fight, But Let's Be Friends Too!**_

* * *

It didn't take very long for Yugi and his family to arrive at the Kaiba Dome where the entrance exams were being held on this very day. Thankfully, there was no heavy traffic or road hogs to make them late today. Yugi quickly and carefully parked the car in the parking lot near the Kaiba Dome, and turned back to the kids.

"Yuma, we'll meet you inside. You go on ahead and register for your exam." Yugi instructed.

"You got it, Yugi!" Yuma replied.

"Oh, but before you go," Yugi reached into his second deck box and pulled out a card. "Add this card to your deck. Something just tells me that it belongs with you."

Curious about this card, Yuma gingerly took the card from Yugi as though it were a fragile artifact and took a look at it. It was a monster card that was from a very familiar family of monsters. A certain monster that has saved Yugi's neck in many a duel back when he was a serious duelist. Not to say he's not still serious about dueling now that he's a family man, but that's beside the point.

"Wow… I've never seen this card before." Yuma said in a voice barely above a whisper.

"I should hope not. Pegasus gave me that card fresh off the printing press. Much like your Stardust Dragon and your Light and Darkness Dragon, it's currently a one of a kind card." Yugi explained. "That card is very special, Yuma. Use it wisely."

" _Kuri Kuri!"_ sounded a cute voice that sounded metallic.

Yuma looked over his shoulder and saw the spirit of this card hovering beside him. He smiled at the spirit and gave a smile and a slight nod showing he understood and was happy to have the monster as a part of his team.

" _Kuri Kuri!"_ chirped the spirit as it winked at Yuma before returning to its card.

"Go kick their butts, Yuma!" exclaimed Hope.

Yuma just gave a thumbs up and exited the car before casually strolling up to where he would need to go in order to register for the exams. Knowing Kaiba, he likely registered Yuma ahead of time. But Tea turned to her daughter with a playful grin on her face.

"We need to have a serious talk about what you learn from your uncle Joey." she quipped.

"But mommy, Uncle Joey is the one telling me not to say the bad words Uncle Tristan always says when he hurts himself." Hope said with a cute tilt of her head.

That caused the child's parents to have a single thought going through their heads.

' _Note to me; kick Tristan's ass after this. End note.'_

After registering for his exam, Yuma learned that he had to take the written exam, which took about fifteen minutes to complete, and another five minutes to grade. Now, one would expect for someone who was raised by the King of Games himself to have extensive knowledge about Duel Monsters, and so would easily be able to pass the written exam. And you know what? You'd presume correctly. Yuma passed his exam with flying colors with a final score of a whopping 120% including the extra credit. A score which would likely land him in Ra Yellow, should he pass the dueling portion of the exam. Now, I say Ra Yellow because almost no applicant ever makes it to Obelisk Blue in their first year. They usually have to have gone to a fancy Dueling Prep school beforehand, or have bought their way in. So, Yuma's not getting his hopes up about getting into Obelisk Blue.

Soon after his written test, Yuma came across a whole arena filled with viewers who were no doubt new students who have just been accepted. Quickly scanning the bleachers, Yuma spotted Yugi, Tea, and Hope sitting close to where he was. He took a seat next to a short boy with light blue hair and glasses, who was sitting near Yugi and his family at the time, and examined the duel that was going on.

The person being tested is a boy that had black hair with a grey streak in it who had 4000 life points and a Vorse Raider while his opponent had 1900 life points and three monsters each with variable attack and defense points.

"Okay, freshman. Pop quiz time. You have three monsters staring you down and two facedowns. Which of the following do you do? Do you do A) Throw in the towel? B) Attack hoping that I don't activate my facedowns? Or C) Run home to momma?" the tester asked with in a snide tone.

"I chose D) none of the above!" The boy shouted. "Go face down trap! Ring of Destruction!"

As the ring appeared it wrapped itself around the Vorse Raider and detonated all of the frag grenades attached to it, blowing up the Vorse Raider in the process. The tester brought his arm up to shield from the debris as his life points plummeted to zero. The black haired boy smiled as his disk deactivated.

"Congratulations, you have been accepted into Duel Academy." The tester said.

"Thank you." Black hair said.

Yugi and his family politely applauded the boy's performance, knowing that it takes quite a bit of skill to win a duel without losing a single life point. But somewhere else in the stands, three boys were watching the duel and had varying reactions to it. Some were good, but there were some that were just rude and condescending.

"That guy is pretty good, huh Chazz?" a boy with wavy blue hair and glasses asked.

"He's a punk." The person in the middle called Chazz scoffed. "We went to Duel Prep School for the past three years. We're ready for the Academy. These kids don't know what they're getting into. But they'll learn… the hard way. The Chazz Princeton way."

As Yuma looked at the guy, his eyes narrowed as he was reminded of Shark and how he treated everyone around him just because they hadn't won a bunch of Duel Monsters tournaments like he had. And to be quite honest, it irked him to no end.

As if sensing Yuma's mental battle and seeing the direction of his gaze, the blue haired boy spoke up.

"That's Chazz, someone who went through Dueling Prep School. He's really good. Possibly the best in the school." He informed in a somewhat timid tone of voice.

"Is that right? Well, even a low level can easily surpass an elite with enough hard work and dedication. And especially if they believe in their cards and their friends, just like their friends and cards believe in them. By the way, my name's Yuma." Yuma said in response as he introduced himself.

He would have given his last name, but considering what had happened to him five years ago, he wasn't quite sure what to call himself now. He was born into a different family, yet they abandoned him and he was then practically raised by Yugi Moto and his family. He felt kind of conflicted.

"Syrus Truesdale ." the bluenette replied with a nervous bow.

Right below them, in the VIP seats for Academy faculty members, several members of the school faculty were conversing about the matches they've had thus far.

"Looks like we've got a pretty good crop this year." One of them said.

"Yes, indeed." Another teacher agreed.

Right next to them, another teacher sat there silently not paying attention to the other teachers' talk. He's male, but could easily be mistaken as a woman if you didn't know who he was. He wore a blue blazer similar to Chazz but had some gold shoulder plates and trimmings along with a ruffled pink collar. He also had his blonde hair in a ponytail and wore makeup. This was Dr. Vellian Crowler, headmaster of the Obelisk Blue Boys Dorm.

Crowler looked down to the arena, which was currently being prepared for the big event that was going to be happening today. He got a call from Kaiba earlier that week telling him that he would be dueling someone special that caught both his AND the King of Games' attention. Someone who would be helping test out a new set of cards that Kaiba Corp. and Industrial Illusions were going to be making more of if they became good enough. And while the makeup wearing man was a little skeptical that the person could be that good, he knew better than to argue with the founder of the school he works at.

' _I wonder who my opponent will be? And what are these new cards Mister Kaiba spoke about?'_ Crowler mentally asked himself. ' _I'm just glad that Bonaparte isn't conducting this test. Goodness knows we don't need a repeat of what happened last year.'_

Of course, Crowler is referring to the time when Bonaparte dismissed over half of the new applicants to Duel Academy the previous year because someone had called him short. Needless to say, neither Crowler, Chancellor Sheppard, or Seto Kaiba were happy with the pudgy man for his antics in doing so. And so, those who were turned away before they could even have their turn to take the exam were given a form of make-up exam so that they could become Duel Academy students. It worked out well in the end, but nobody wanted a repeat of what happened last year.

' _That was a disaster just waiting to happen.'_

Crowler was snapped out of his thoughts by his phone ringing. He quickly took it out of his pocket, flipped it open, and answered the call.

"Hello, Doctor Vellian Crowler speaking. Who is this?"

 _"Your boss, Seto Kaiba."_

"Oh, Mister Kaiba, sir! What a surprise!" Crowler exclaimed in, well, surprise. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your call, sir?"

 _"I just wanted to give you an update on the duel you're going to be having with Yugi's apprentice. To give him a real challenge, you are to use your personal deck against him. Don't hold back and give him everything you've got when you duel him."_ Kaiba said over the phone.

Now, Crowler was confused by this request due to the nature of it. But if he really is dueling the apprentice of Yugi Moto, then he must be good.

"Yes sir, mister Kaiba. It shall be done. I will head down to the arena right away." Crowler said.

 _"Good. Remember, no holding back. The objective of this test is not simply for him to win or lose, but to test both his dueling abilities and the cards that Pegasus and I created."_

With that, Kaiba hung up and Crowler began to head down to the arena. Reaching into his inner coat pocket, he pulled out his personal deck and felt the presence of something near him. He smiled as he saw his Duel Spirit, the Ancient Gear Golem, walking beside him in anticipation for the duel. This did Crowler's heart good to see that his best friend and favorite card would finally be able to have a challenge after so long.

Back with Yuma, Yugi, Tea, Hope, and Syrus, the black haired boy from earlier walked towards them.

"Hey there, you did great in your duel! You might even be the second best in the whole school!" Yuma called, praising the boy.

"Indeed, it was a spectacular duel, young man. You have to tell me, where did you learn to duel with such heart and passion?" Yugi asked.

"Thank you. That's very kind of you all to say." the black haired boy said gratefully. "And as for where I learned how to duel, it was from my mother. And believe it or not, she was usually quite the lousy instructor."

Yugi just shrugged off that last bit knowing that no teacher is ever perfect and that everyone is bound to make mistakes sooner or later. What's important is to always learn from those mistakes and make sure they don't repeat them in the future.

"Well, if it was me who was your teacher, I'd definitely give you and 'A' on that last move." Yugi said.

"I'm honored to have impressed you, Mister Moto. Ah, but where are my manners? I am Bastion Misawa." the boy introduced with a bow.

"Syrus Truesdale ."

"And I'm..."

 _ **"Would a mister Yuma, please report to Dueling Field # 4."**_ The PA announced again. _**"Mister Yuma, to Dueling Field # 4."**_

"That's me! Looks like it's go time!" Yuma said as he got ready to go. "Wish me luck, guys."

"Wait! Before you go, what did you mean by me being the second best duelist at the school? Who's the first?" Bastion asked.

Yuma stopped and looked back at them.

"I don't know who that is right now, but I hope to get admitted to this school and learn all I can so that one day I can ascend through the ranks to become one of the best duelists in the pro circuit!" Yuma replied.

He then continued his stride down to the exam floor, a little bit of a swagger in his step. And who can blame him? He finally gets to participate in an official duel using his best and personal deck. Meaning Light and Darkness Dragon and Stardust Dragon have the chance to come out and stretch their wings.

"He seems interesting." Bastion nodded as the brown haired boy ran to the field.

"I don't know about that, but Yuma's the best duelist ever! Besides you, Daddy." Hope exclaimed.

Yugi chuckled at his daughter's words and enthusiasm as he looked on as his apprentice and surrogate son walked on to show the power of the Heart of the Cards using his own deck. True, Yuma can duel like the best of them using decks that Yugi built for him to use in public duels until it was time for the big reveal of Synchro and Tuner monsters, but with his personal deck, Yuma is sure to be near unstoppable.

' _Good luck, Yuma. And know that no matter the outcome, we're all proud of you.'_ Yugi said mentally with a smile.

"This is gonna be a good one, huh, Yuge?" asked a familiar voice.

Yugi and the others looked to their side to see that the whole gang had gotten together with their families to watch this duel. Needless to say, Yugi and Tea were certainly surprised.

"Everyone! What are you guys doing here?" Yugi asked.

"Did you really expect us to miss Yuma's entrance duel where he got to use his real deck? Think again, old chap." Bakura replied. "But I hear Kaiba set Yuma up to duel one of the academy's best dueling instructors. Is he sure that's a good idea?"

"Of course it's a good idea!" Marik said. "It would be an insult to pit him against anyone else!"

"I just hope we get to see this legendary dragon monster of Yuma's in action this duel." Ishizu added.

Tea suddenly got an annoyed look as she looked at Tristan.

"That reminds me, Tristan. Yugi and I need to talk to you about what you say around Hope when you babysit." she said.

That made the man get an anime sweatdrop on the back of his head as he grew increasingly more nervous to be around his old friends. Something that Joey and his wife, Mai, noticed right off the bat. The Brooklyn native sighed and ran a hand through his hair as he remembered all the times he had to tell Hope to never repeat any of the bad words Tristan sometimes let slip out when the two of them were asked to babysit.

"Sorry, Tristan, but you're on your own with this." Joey sighed.

"We did tell you that your cursing habit would get you in trouble someday." quipped Mai.

Just then, the lights dimmed as a man in a security outfit consisting of a black suit and sunglasses walked onto the duel arena with a microphone in hand.

"Attention all Duel Academy applicants! Please, turn your attention to the screen and greet our special guest! The very founder of this school, Seto Kaiba!"

The giant screen flared to life as Kaiba appeared on the screen, causing an eruption of applause from all of the new students and even those who failed to get into Duel Academy this time around. It had them all wondering just what was going to happen. Because whenever Kaiba did something, he went all out.

"Greetings all Duel Academy applicants! My name is Seto Kaiba, and today is the day where I reveal a project Pegasus and I have been working on to make Duel Monsters even more exciting than it already is! You see, five years ago, Yugi Moto took on a secret apprentice at my request in order to train him so that he could properly utilize a new series of cards that Pegasus and I created. As of right now, the cards are one of a kind, and he is the only one who has them. Therefore, this duelist is here to field test the cards and see how they handle in a real duel. And lucky for all of you, he is a fellow applicant to Duel Academy just like all of you. Now, please watch the duel and enjoy the show!"

The screen turned off as the crowd cheered like wild at the prospect of not only seeing new cards in action, but also getting to see a duel featuring an apprentice to the King of Games himself. It was all so exciting! The lights above the dueling arena lit up bright so that everyone could see the action as it happened.

On the field, Dr. Crowler was being prepped and ready to Duel. The duel disk he was equipped with looked as though it was crafted into his blazer. The part that held his graveyard and deck slots was strapped to his chest, while the duel tray looked as though it was being held up like a guitar. In fact, the duel tray itself looked almost like a rock guitar.

Yuma stood tall and proud, confidence radiating off of him in waves as he was lifted up to the arena by a hidden lift, silently amazed by the advancements in technology being made every day. True, the duel fields that Kaiba Corp. used to use upon introduction of the XYZ monsters were cool and all, but they were quick to adapt the technology to the Duel Disks and make the technology less cumbersome. Especially when duelists had an audience that wanted to watch the duel. And that was when Crowler spoke up.

"Alright, test time!" he announced. "So, son, your name?"

Yuma stood at attention before speaking in a manner similar to most military personnel.

"My name is Yuma, sir!"

"Well then, Yuma, I'm Doctor Vellian Crowler, Department Chair of Techniques here at Duel Academy."

"Wow, a Department Chair! I had no idea!" gasped Yuma. "No offense meant, sir, but the way you're dressed, I was thinking you were some kind of weird academy mascot. Like a majorette or a court jester."

Crowler chuckled a bit as he scratched the back of his head in a sheepish manner, clearly not holding the young man's words against him. To be honest, he too thinks that the makeup makes him look ridiculous. Especially given his hairstyle.

"Yes, I get that a lot. Let's just say I'm still paying for an old bet I lost." Crowler said.

And up in the stands, a few students were voicing their thoughts. And not all of them were good.

"Hey, you know, now that he mentions it…" the boy with glasses mumbled.

"This guy's got some lip, huh Chazz?" the brown haired boy asked.

Chazz didn't say anything. He just growled as he glared at Yuma for his insulting words against Doctor Crowler. His thoughts were something along the lines of…

' _That foolish commoner! Has he no respect for his superiors in the Obelisk Blue!? I don't care if he IS Yugi's apprentice, he'll soon be sent away from this academy with his tail between his legs like the dog that he is!'_

Back in the arena, Crowler was ready to duel as he pressed a maroon red triangular button on the deck slot of his Duel Blade.

"Duel Vest on!" exclaimed Crowler.

Yuma watched in amazement as the machine ejected the top five cards of Crowler's deck into the man's hand. But even more amazing to him was the Duel Blazer that Crowler wore underneath the machine. He knows from researching Central Duel Academy that the Obelisk Blue is the highest rank one can get in the academy. So to be dueling one of their best duelists like this was a great honor in Yuma's book.

"That's some sweet gear there, Doc. How do I get one of those snazzy blue Duel Blazers?" he asked.

"Oh, a lot of hard work and extremely high marks." Crowler replied as he mentally added ' _Then again, since you are Yugi Moto's apprentice in dueling, something tells me that your dueling skills are already more than passable. I can't wait to see just what those new cards of yours can do!'_

Yuma activated his Duel Disk after shuffling and inserting his deck into the machine, and both players got themselves ready to duel.

"I'm ready." he said.

The air around the two duelists seemed to blow harder as their Battle Ki was let loose. Almost like two warriors of ancient times ready to fight to the bitter end.

" **So, let's duel!"** they exclaimed simultaneously.

 _ **(Yuma's Life Points: 4000)**_

 _ **(Crowler's Life Points: 4000)**_

High up in the stadium where two Obelisk Blue's, one male and one female. The male was in the white variant of the male uniform while the girl was in the normal female uniform, a white and blue blazer, blue mini-skirt and blue high-heels. She was also wearing light blue Dueling gloves. The guy had dark blue hair and grey eyes while the girl had long blonde hair and blue eyes.

"Man, this kid must be really good to have been chosen by Kaiba, Yugi, and even Pegasus themselves to become Yugi's apprentice. Even more so to have actually had a duel with Crowler arranged by Seto Kaiba, huh Zane?" the girl asked.

"Maybe Alexis. But if this kid really is Yugi's apprentice, then we're in for a real show of skill." the dark blue haired man replied with his neutral face.

Alexis didn't say anything in response. She just focused her vision on Yuma and narrowed her eyes a little in curiosity. There's something about him that just screams out to her and she doesn't know why. It's almost as if they have some kind of ancient and powerful connection to each other that spans millions of years. But why is that?

"I shall go first, young man." Crowler said.

He held up his hand to his deck and the Duel Blade ejected a card into his awaiting hand. Crowler looked at the card and then the cards in his hand. He has Ancient Gear Golem, Heavy Storm, two copies of Statue of the Wicked, Confiscation, and Negate attack.

' _I'd best play on the cautious side of the duel spectrum this time around. After all, even though I'm using my own personal deck, it won't be easy for me to just pull out a win against a deck full of cards I know nothing about. Still, this will at least help me get and keep my best monster on the field.'_

"Alright! For this first move, I think I'll start out nice and easy. I choose to play the Spell Card, Confiscation." Crowler announced, showing a card depicting a cruel knight taking every cent of money from a poor peasant woman.

An image that was always disturbing to Yuma whenever he saw that card, as it seemed to trigger these memories that he wasn't even sure were his. It's like they're there, but they're not there at the same time. He remembers a mighty warrior standing up for what's right and always putting his life on the line to help those who can't defend themselves. Still, he can't let that distract him from the duel.

"Okay, so what's it do?" he asked.

"What is does is allow me to pay one thousand Life Points for the chance to peek at your hand, and toss one of your cards into the Graveyard!" Crowler explained with a smirk.

 _ **(Crowler's Life Points: 4000 - 1000 = 3000)**_

Yuma watched in morbid fascination as the cards in his hand began to glow and a rainbow aura appeared in front of Crowler, as hologram images of the cards in Yuma's hand began levitating in front of the makeup wearing man. Crowler hummed in thought and amazement as he looked at the cards, but didn't bother reading the effects of most of those cards. He wanted their effects to be a surprise.

"Oh yes, now these are some rather unusual cards. I don't recognize any of these." Crowler commented.

' _Oh man. It's kinda weird having this guy able to see everything in my hand like this.'_ Yuma thought to himself.

"Hmm, now which one shall I banish?" Crowler asked himself with a grin before pointing at one of Yuma's cards. "Quillbolt Hedgehog, to the Graveyard!"

Yuma's Quillbolt Hedgehog monster card flipped over before the hologram shattered into shards of light that dissipated as it went to the card Graveyard, but Yuma showed no visible reaction. If he's being honest, he was kind of hoping that Crowler would do something like that.

"Next, I'll lay two cards face down on the field." Crowler said as two cards appeared on his field. "And last, but not least, I'll play Heavy Storm! This spell card destroys every other spell and trap card that's out on the field!"

As the Obelisk Blue ranked teacher said that, a heavy wind began to blow throughout the duel field, forcing Yuma to brace himself and not get blown away. But even though Yuma had no Spell or Trap cards on the field, Crowler did. And they were easily destroyed by the effects of his spell card.

Yuma began to grin as he felt a small victory come from that little blunder on the teacher's part. Or was it even a blunder? He grimaced as he figured out that this destruction of his own traps was all a part of Crowler's grand strategy.

"Oh great, let me guess. Those two traps you destroyed: you destroyed them on purpose, because they would give you monsters that you need for a sacrifice." stated Yuma.

Crowler grinned as a dark and sinister fog began rolling in. He was actually impressed. That move usually makes his opponents think that he made a mistake, but this boy seems to be smart enough to tell when a move was intentional or not. That, or he has sharp instincts as a duelist. And the Obelisk Blue Headmaster likes that very much. Then again, what else should he expect from the apprentice to the King of Games?

"You catch on quick, lad. I did indeed need the sacrifices, and these two Wicked Tokens will do nicely." Crowler replied.

As soon as he finished saying that, two grotesque golden snake-like creatures appeared on Crowler's field. And though they couldn't fight, they were perfect for this next part of his grand play.

 _(Wicked Token: [Monster/ Token] Fiend/ DARK [4]_ _ **ATK; 1000/**_ _DEF; 1000)_

But up in the stands, the students seemed a little confused as to why and how those creatures appeared on the field. At least, those who were freshmen or have never seen the card before.

"Those things are scary, Mommy!" whimpered Hope as she clung to her mother.

"It's okay, sweetheart, they're not going to get you." Tea said, rubbing her daughter's back in a comforting manner.

"Uh, I don't mean to be rude, but could somebody tell me what's going on?" Syrus asked.

"The two trap cards that Doctor Crowler had on the field were called Statue of the Wicked. It's a special trap that creates a vicious Token Monster when destroyed. That's why he played Heavy Storm." Yugi explained.

Syrus made a sound of understanding as he paid close attention to the duel.

"A card that strong couldn't be in one of the test decks! Crowler must be using his own!" the Obelisk Blue boy with glasses figured. "Maybe Kaiba ordered him to use his own deck for the duel so we'd see the true power of those new cards he was talking about."

"Then this is over! New and rare cards or not, no applicant could beat the deck of an expert like Doctor Crowler!" said the brown haired Obelisk student.

"Yeah, it's impossible. Don't you think, Chazz?" glasses asked.

"Yeah, what do you think, Chazz?" brown hair asked afterwards.

Chazz just smirked cruelly as he looked at what was going on. To him, there's nothing sweeter than stamping down the dreams of those he deems as inferior to him.

"I think I'm gonna enjoy watching Crowler mop the floor with our mouthy little friend down there. I only wish he'd treat all the other second-rate duelists who apply to this academy the same way." Chazz said with heavy arrogance.

But back with Alexis and Zane, the blonde Obelisk was less than impressed by Crowler's strategy. But she wasn't necessarily disappointed either. She was more concerned for the wellbeing of Crowler's opponent. After all, the Ancient Gear Golem is a very powerful monster.

"Are they sure this is a good idea? Having Crowler duel some poor guy using his very best cards, I mean." Alexis asked in concern.

"You're too soft, Alexis." Zane said, getting the blonde's attention. "I just hope we get to see that legendary rare monster that Crowler has had stashed away in that deck of his."

Alexis said nothing as she turned back to the duel. And back down in the field, Crowler was ready to get the duel back underway.

"Ready for your next lesson?" Crowler asked.

"Indeed I am." Yuma replied with a grin. "I don't remember the last time learning was this much fun other than when Yugi was teaching me. You know, you're an excellent teacher now that I've seen you in action."

Crowler couldn't help but smile slightly at the compliment. Not many people took the time to give compliments to their instructors on their teaching abilities, or thank them for their help with tutoring. So, this was a breath of fresh air to him.

"I thank you for the compliment, young man." Crowler said before resuming his turn. **"And now, I sacrifice my two Wicked Tokens, and summon Ancient Gear Golem!"**

The two token monsters writhed about as they were engulfed in fire before fading out as Crowler used them to summon one of his deck's strongest monsters.

Rising up behind Crowler was a monster that looked like an ancient machine made to look like a gladiator. It had a single red eye and several cog gears placed in various parts of its body. Mainly its face and upper body. It wore armor that was a rusty brown and looked as strong as it is ancient.

 _(Ancient Gear Golem [Monster|Effect] Machine/EARTH [Level 8]_ _ **ATK: 3000/**_ _DEF: 3000)_

Everyone in the audience gasped in awe at the mighty beast before them and eagerly awaited the chance to see what it can do.

"There it is! The legendary rare card!" gasped Alexis.

"And I'd say we're about to find out just what makes it so legendary." Zane commented.

The Ancient Gear Golem stood slouched behind Crowler as it settled itself in attack mode, causing Yuma to look at the monster in awe at its own special kind of brilliance. He's heard stories about the Ancient Gear Golem from Yugi when he spoke about his previous duels and has wanted to face one ever since he first heard about it. And now, he's getting that chance.

"Impressive, is he not?" Crowler asked.

"You bet he's impressive! I've always wanted to take on the Ancient Gear Golem! This duel is really getting me pumped up and rarin' to go!" Yuma declared. "So, what do ya say, Doc? Let's rev it up!"

Almost everyone up in the stands gasped in surprise at what Yuma has said. Did he just say what they think he just said!?

"Either Yuma's brave, or he's nuts!" exclaimed Syrus.

"He's staring down that legendary rare monster like he doesn't have a care in the world! I guess that youth and inexperience have their benefits after all, huh Alexis." Zane asked, although it sounded more like a statement.

"Come on, give it a rest, Zane. At least he's showing some backbone." Alexis said, tired of hearing so much negativity from her friend.

"There won't be much of it left to show on Crowler's next turn." quipped Zane.

Crowler smirked as he too began to feel the rush of adrenaline in his system. He remembers simpler times back when he was starting out as a duelist. Always striving to get better and win as many duels as he could. And having fun while doing it. In fact, Yuma kind of reminded Crowler of himself back in his early years as a duelist.

"I like your catchphrase, Yuma. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on your viewpoint, the rules forbid me from attacking on my first turn. So I'll end my turn by placing one card facedown."

A new card appeared on his field, thus ending his turn. And this time, Crowler didn't plan to destroy it for the need of a sacrifice. Yuma looked to his deck and smiled as he knew his deck wouldn't let him down.

"Okay, here we go!" exclaimed Yuma as he drew his card.

He looked at it and saw that it was his Junk Synchron Tuner monster. Looking to his hand, Yuma saw that he still has Speed Warrior, Double Summon, Junk Barrage, and Scrap-Iron Scarecrow.

"Prepare yourself, Doc, because first I'm activating the spell card, Double Summon! It lets me normal summon twice this turn!" Yuma exclaimed as he played his card and then sent it to the graveyard. "And next, I'm summoning Junk Synchron to the field in attack mode!"

Yuma played his card and summoned forth a small warrior monster wearing an orange biker outfit with a white scarf that covered the lower half of his face who seemed to be made of junk. He also seemed to have a pair of motors attached to his back acting as some kind of backpack. Or is that his power supply? I honestly can't tell.

 _(Junk Synchron [Monster/Tuner/Effect] Warrior/ DARK [3]_ _ **ATK: 1300/**_ _DEF: 500)_

"And because I was able to summon him, his ability allows me to summon a level two or below monster from my graveyard in defense mode! So rise up Quillbolt Hedgehog!" Yuma declared.

With a flash of light, a new monster appeared on Yuma's field. This one was pretty much a brownish-orange colored hedgehog with bolts for quills.

 _(Quillbolt Hedgehog [Monster/Effect] Machine/ EARTH [2] ATK: 800/_ _ **DEF: 800**_ _)_

Up in the stands, Yugi and the others were on the edge of their seats as they watched Yuma duel. They knew what he was going for here, and they wanted to see just what he had planned. After all, it was going to take more than just Quillbolt Hedgehog and Junk Synchron to take down that Ancient Gear Golem. And they all know that. But something tells them that he's planning something big this turn.

"Yugi, do you think he's going to…"

"I'm positive that he is. But that monster alone won't be enough to bring down the Ancient Gear Golem." Yugi replied as Bakura trailed off. "I wonder what he's planning?"

Back at the arena, Yuma took his next card and played it.

"And thanks to the effect of Double Summon, I'm allowed to normal summon my Speed Warrior this turn!"

Appearing on Yuma's field was a monster that was definitely a warrior. This one is wearing what can only be described as an armored riding suit, goggles, and a breathing mask that connected to the chest of his suit's armor. He also wore what appeared to be a pair of roller blades.

 _(Speed Warrior [Monster/Effect] Warrior/ WIND [2]_ _ **ATK: 900/**_ _DEF: 400)_

"A fine move, Yuma. But I fail to see how bringing these four weaker monsters to your field would be able to help you much. None of them are anywhere close to being able to defeat my Ancient Gear Golem." Crowler said, though not in a cruel manner.

It's more like he was confused, and rightfully so. But Yuma just smirked and pulled a card with a white background out from his extra deck.

"It's true that my monsters aren't strong enough to destroy yours the way they are now. But if I tune a couple of them together, it's a whole other story!" Yuma said. "Brace yourself, Doctor, because I'm tuning my level three Junk Synchron with my level two Quillbolt Hedgehog!"

"Tuning!?" gasped Crowler.

To his astonishment, as well as that of everyone else in the crowd, Junk Synchron pulled a chain from his body and started up his engines before turning into three glowing stars that transformed into three green rings. The rings flew to Quillbolt Hedgehog, who became nothing more than a bunch of glowing orange outlines as he flew through them. In a burst of light, he too became a pair of stars, but those stars combusted into a pillar of light that erupted upon Yuma's field.

"I summon forth the Synchro Monster known as Junk Warrior! Let's rev it up!"

Landing on Yuma's field was a monster that looked kind of like Junk Synchron, but bigger and a lot more powerful. He was wearing a suit of purple armor that looked like it was designed more for flight than ground travel, as proven by the pair of white wings on his pack. He also wore a black helmet, a pair of red tinted goggles, and Junk Synchron's iconic scarf.

 _(Junk Warrior [Monster/Synchro/Effect] Warrior/ DARK [5]_ _ **ATK: 2300/**_ _DEF: 1300)_

"And now, because I was able to summon him, Junk Warrior gains an attack point power boost equal to the attack points of all level two and lower monsters that I control! Meaning he gains nine hundred extra attack points from my Speed Warrior, making him just strong enough to dismantle your Ancient Gear Golem!"

Junk Warrior began to glow purple as he felt Speed Warrior share his power with him, causing him to clench his fists and the lenses of his goggle began to glow with power.

 _(Junk Warrior [Monster/Synchro/Effect] Warrior/ DARK [5]_ _ **ATK: 2300 + 900 = 3200/**_ _DEF: 1300)_

"Look at that! This guy's monster is just strong enough to take out Crowler's legendary rare monster with no problem!" exclaimed Alexis. "These Synchro monsters are really something else!"

"Yes they are. And I look forward to seeing just what else they can do in a duel." Zane added.

Back at the duel, Yuma was all ready to take down Crowler's Ancient Gear Golem, and he's not afraid to show the might of his monsters.

"Say goodbye to your monster, Doc! **Junk Warrior, attack with Scrap Punch!"**

Activating his boosters, Junk Warrior took to the sky before rapidly descending upon Crowler's monster. It looked like it was going to be a clean hit, but unfortunately, Yuma's attack got swallowed up by a swirling vortex. Yuma growled and grimaced as he realized that he fell for a trap.

"So sorry, Yuma, but you triggered my Negate Attack trap card. And thanks to it, your attack is negated and the battle phase ends." Crowler declared.

"As much as I hate to say it, that was a good move." Tea said from up in the stands.

"Yeah, Yuma's Junk Warrior just got pulled over." Tristan added.

"Oh man, this doesn't look good for Yuma!" Syrus said.

"And it's about to get worse." Bastion said. "You see, when that Ancient Gear Golem attacks a monster in Defense Mode, the difference between its attack points and the defending monster's defense points gets dealt to the opponent as damage. Not that he has to worry about that effect anyway, since both of his monsters are in attack mode."

"Then that means… Yuma's Life Points are gonna take a hit!" exclaimed Syrus in panic.

"But it's not all bad." said Marik, catching everyone's attention. "Junk Warrior still keeps the power boost he got from Speed Warrior, meaning that even if Yuma's life points take a hit, he can still come back from it and destroy Crowler's monster."

But back on the field, Crowler drew his next card and knew he could at least deal a near crippling blow to Yuma by destroying his Speed Warrior. And even without his Golem's effect, it'll still bring the young man's life points down quite a bit.

" **GOLEM, ATTACK! DESTROY SPEED WARRIOR WITH MECHANIZED MELEE!"** roared Crowler.

The machines' eye began glowing brightly as the gears in his face began to spin rapidly, allowing him to generate the needed power for its attack. It reared back its giant fist and punched Speed Warrior into oblivion. The backlash from the attack caused Yuma to grunt as he shielded himself from the debris.

 _ **(Yuma's Life Points: 4000 - 2100 = 1900)**_

Yuma grunted as he lost a little over half of his life points, but he still wasn't intimidated. If anything, he was more amped up then ever. He was having the time of his life in this duel and just knows that there's more to Crowler and his deck than meets the eye. After all, who relies on a single monster to win a duel like that?

"Boy, do I want to come to this school now! Hey, Doctor! Win or lose, know that I'll have enjoyed this duel immeasurably, and will try harder to get into this academy if I lose."

His grin and positive attitude seemed contagious, as Crowler found himself grinning in response. He too was having a great bit of fun in this duel, and knows that Yuma's deck has only had its surface scratched in terms of what it can do. And Crowler intends to find out everything he can about this boy's mysterious deck and the Synchro monsters that lay dormant within it. After all, it's been some time since he got to duel with his personal deck, and this duel is just getting started.

"Well, I certainly hope you don't lose, M'boy. It would be a shame to have to turn away a young duelist with such potential. And trust me when I say that I know true dueling potential when I see it, and yours is formidable." praised Crowler. "Alright, your move!"

"Okay, Doctor! Let's see what my deck gives me this time…"

" _Kuri kuri!"_

Yuma silently gasped and looked at his deck.

' _It's you again…!'_

He drew his next card and saw that it was indeed Junkuriboh, the card that he received earlier. His eyes widened as he realized that there was something extra special about this card. His mind wandered to when he got that card, and what Yugi had told him about it.

' _Something just tells me that it belongs with you.'_

Yuma grinned as he read the card text and realized that this was a perfect way to get the monster he needed on the field.

' _Something tells me that you were right, Yugi. Alright, little fella. I'll play you next, although your effect will probably be needed later.'_

" _Kuri kuri!"_ chirped Junkuriboh as the image on the card winked at Yuma before returning to normal.

"Alright, first I'm summoning Junkuriboh in defense mode!" exclaimed Yuma.

He played his card, and a monster that can only be described as a variation of Kuriboh made entirely out of junk parts, appeared on his field. In place of the fur ball was a metal sphere with a yellow line going down the left side of the face that resembled a strange mark, four large blue spikes, and a pair of screws where the legs would be.

 _(Junkuriboh [Monster/Effect] Machine/ EARTH [1] ATK: 300/_ _ **DEF: 200**_ _)_

Now, despite being a literal ball of scrap, many of the female viewers in the crowd couldn't help but d'awww at how cute Junkuriboh looked to them. I mean, come on. Every Kuriboh card, no matter the variant, is cute in its own unique way.

"And now, since you forgot to set anything to protect your monster, my Junk Warrior can destroy your Ancient Gear Golem!" Yuma declared.

This time, Crowler was powerless to stop his Ancient gear Golem from being destroyed as the Junk Warrior punched right through its armor plating and sent it crashing to the ground and going up in a huge explosion.

"It can't be! He was my very best card!" exclaimed Crowler. "And yet you have destroyed him easily all because I made a rookie mistake!"

 _ **(Crowler's Life Points: 3000 - 200 = 2800)**_

Yuma crossed his arms, being careful not to damage any of his cards as he began to give Crowler a lecture that Yugi has given to him many times in the past. A lecture that Crowler certainly needed to hear right now.

"That's right, Doctor. No matter how good at Duel Monsters someone may be, it's still possible for them to make a mistake that could be fatal for them in the long run. One wrong move - one false card - that's all it takes for your chance of winning the duel to come crumbling down!"

"Yes, I understand. Every move one makes has to be right on the dot!" Crowler said.

"Right, Doctor. The important parts of any duel are two things. First is to learn from your mistakes and stop yourself from making them again in the future." Yuma said.

"And what's the second part?" Crowler asked with a raised eyebrow.

"It's a game. Just have fun." Yuma said with a grin.

Crowler silently gasped as he was reminded of why he became a duelist to begin with. He wanted to just have fun playing the game he loved to play and to win and lose duels with his Ancient Gear Golem by his side. He had to wonder 'when did it all change'? When did he start seeing Duel Monsters as nothing more than a job to be done under strict professionalism and not having any fun?

With this in mind, Crowler began to smile even though his Ancient Gear Golem was destroyed. He's still got cards in his deck. And he still has life points remaining.

"Thanks for that, Yuma. Those words are exactly what I needed to hear." Crowler said.

"No problem, Doc. But my battle phase isn't done yet! Junkuriboh, attack the doctor's life points directly!" Yuma exclaimed.

Junkuriboh squeaked and started spinning like some sort of spiked mace of ultimate death and rushed at the doctor, hitting him in the stomach and knocking the wind out of him. The doctor was certainly going to feel that one in the morning.

 _ **(Crowler's Life Points: 2800 - 300 = 2500)**_

"Your move, Doctor." Yuma said.

"And a good move I'm certain it will be." Crowler said as he drew a new card.

Looking at the card, Crowler smirked. This may just save his behind this duel if he can draw the right cards using it.

"I activate the spell card known as Pot of Greed!" exclaimed Crowler as he played a card depicting a green pot with a grotesque face on it. "This card's magic allows me to draw two more cards!"

Crowler drew his two cards and saw that one of them was just the card to try and pull off what he was hoping to.

"Next I'll activate the spell card, Reload! It allows me to return the cards in my hand to my deck, shuffle them up, and draw the same number of cards I returned to my deck!"

Crowler returned his two cards to his deck and his Duel Blade automatically reshuffled his deck thanks to the auto shuffle system that Kaiba had integrated into the device as a way of helping those who were just plain bad at shuffling their decks. Or for situations where cards like Reload were used, where someone wouldn't need to remove their deck from their Duel Disk to use the effects of a card.

And it works perfectly. It's made dueling using the new Duel Disks much more efficient. But back to the duel, Crowler drew his new cards and smirked at what he saw. This combo would work perfectly for him.

"Alright, Yuma! Prepare yourself, because now I'm activating my Poison of the Old Man spell card! What it does is allow me to choose one of two effects!" Crowler began as he played a card and an old man holding two vials, one green and one purple, appeared on his field. "I can choose to either regain twelve hundred life points, or I can choose to inflict eight hundred points of damage to my opponent!"

Yuma grimaced and growled. This could either end really good for him or really bad depending on the effect that the doctor chooses. But that's when he caught a glance of reassurance from Junkuriboh. Knowing that his new little friend wouldn't want to steer him wrong, Yuma just subtly nodded at the little metal Kuriboh.

" _Kuri Kuri."_ chirped Junkuriboh with a wink.

"I choose to send eight hundred points of damage to you, Yuma!" Crowler declared.

The old man from the spell card cackled and threw the purple vial at Yuma, who smirked while Junkuriboh did the same with his eyes.

"Sorry, Doc, don't think so! Because I'm activating Junkuriboh's special ability! By sending Junkuriboh from my field to the graveyard, I can negate the damage effect of your spell card and then destroy it!" Yuma exclaimed.

"Say what!?" gasped Crowler.

He watched in fascination as Junkuriboh began spinning like a buzzsaw and first acted as a shield to protect Yuma from the poison that was thrown at him. Then it went and sliced the hologram of Crowler's spell card in half!

"Awright! Way to go, Yuma!" cheered Joey from the stands.

"Get him, big bro!" chirped Hope.

"Where did Yuma get a card like that? Because I kinda want one." Syrus asked and sheepishly admitted.

"The Junkuriboh is currently a one of a kind monster. Many of the cards in Yuma's deck are the first of their kind, and he's showing everyone just what can happen when you believe in your cards."

"How about that? A technique the good doctor didn't see coming." Alexis commented.

"No one can be expected to know or be able to predict every technique, Alexis. Especially one as obscure as that." Zane stated.

"Yeah, well this Yuma character sure did." Alexis quipped.

Back down in the arena, Yuma discarded Junkuriboh to the card Graveyard and smiled as he knew that his friend's sacrifice wasn't going to be in vain.

"Well, that was certainly impressive." Crowler said. "I end my turn by placing this card face down."

A card appeared on Crowler's field as the good doctor ended his turn. Yuma drew his next card and knew this would be a prime opportunity to show off just what his deck could really do. He silently drew his next card and saw that it was one that would definitely come in handy this turn.

"Alright, Crowler! I begin by activating my Monster Reborn spell card!" Yuma exclaimed.

 **"OH NO! THAT ALLOWS YOU TO SUMMON ONE MONSTER IN THE GRAVEYARDS OF EITHER DECK!"** Crowler exclaimed, thinking that Yuma would use one of his (Crowler's) cards against him.

"Nice to see that you know the rules. Now, guess which card I want." Yuma said as his field hummed to life. "Come back to battle, Junk Synchron!"

In a flash of light, the Tuner monster returned to the field in defense position.

 _(Junk Synchron [Monster/Tuner/Effect] Warrior/ DARK [3] ATK: 1300/_ _ **DEF: 500**_ _)_

"Now, why would he do that?" Zane asked himself. "His Junk Warrior alone would be more than enough to bring Crowler down once and for all in this duel, so why bring back a monster like his Junk Synchron?"

"Well, he's obviously got a plan if he's doing so. I guess we'll just have to wait and see." Alexis said, not realizing that Zane was talking to himself.

"And now, I tune my level five Junk Warrior with my level three Junk Synchron!" Yuma declared.

"Another Synchro summon!?" gasped Crowler.

Yuma just smirked in response.

"You didn't think that Junk Warrior was the only Synchro monster in my deck, did you?" he asked.

Just like before, Junk Synchron revved up his engines and transformed into three green rings that encircled the Junk Warrior, turning him into orange outlines before he became five shining stars. And upon Yuma's arm, a red mark that resembled the head of a dragon began to glow with immense power.

"Now, out of two will come one! And from one will come great cosmic might!" Yuma chanted as a pillar of light erupted from behind him. " **Take flight - Stardust Dragon!"**

Emerging from the pillar was a dragon that no one had ever seen before. It was mostly a silvery white with some very light blue on its underbelly and parts of its arms and legs. It had a lean body type and had these two purple bio-jewels in its pectorals and shoulders. It also possessed a long neck with a small and slightly narrow head that had a long pointed snout with three backwards facing curved horns, and a mouth that was placed sort of like a shark. Its arms and hands were almost like a human, but its five fingers were each tipped with a single sharp, dagger-like talon. Its long wings that looked slightly tattered spread out a type of cosmic dust as they spread out as the dragon roared with power.

 _(Stardust Dragon [Monster/Synchro/Effect] Dragon/ WIND [8]_ _ **ATK: 2500/**_ _DEF: 2000)_

Everyone, Obelisk, Slifer, or Ra, was amazed by the appearance of this dragon. Many of them were wondering if they'd be able to get a card like that one somewhere. And Crowler just looked on in awe as he realized something.

' _I've lost… my facedown was merely a bluff to get him to stall until I could draw the right card. But it looks like he's going to win after all.'_

And Crowler was right about it being merely a bluff. His facedown card is a spell card called Card Destruction. Yugi used that card many times in the past to help gain the right card for the right situation. But in this case, its effect would be useless, as he would still lose all of his remaining life points due to that Stardust Dragon's attack.

But he just closed his eyes and accepted defeat. If he was going to lose, he was going to lose with the dignity an Obelisk Blue should have.

"This duel was fun, Doctor, but it's time to end it! **GO, STARDUST DRAGON! ATTACK WITH COSMIC FLARE!"**

Heeding Yuma's command, the Stardust Dragon inhaled deeply and shot a wave of dusty fire at Doctor Crowler. The attack hit home, but the Obelisk Blue dorm master merely stood there with dignity as the attack wiped out the last of his life points.

 _ **(Crowler's Life Points: 2500 - 2500 = 0)**_

"And that's game! So, I guess I passed my exam, right?" Yuma said with a grin.

As the holograms disappeared, the whole crowd broke out into loud applause at the accomplishment of this young man who managed to defeat one of the school's best duelists using their own deck. It was a spectacle no one has seen in a very long time, and they were quite surprised and happy about the end results. All except for Chazz and his flunkies.

"It must be dumb luck! There's no way Crowler could lose to some flunky!" Chazz exclaimed in anger.

But higher up in the stands, Alexis smiled warmly at Yuma as she felt that odd connection she felt earlier grow stronger and fill her heart with a feeling she couldn't explain.

"That boy's got a future here." Alexis commented.

Unfortunately, it seems as though Zane doesn't share her sentiments. He just got up and began to walk away as he contemplated the results of the duel. However, he couldn't deny that this Yuma fellow is indeed a tough customer. And those Synchro monsters of his might just give him the challenge he's been looking for.

' _I look forward to seeing just how far you'll go, Yuma. Something tells me there's more to you than meets the eye.'_ Zane thought to himself.

"Alright! Yeah, Yuma!" Syrus cheered from the sidelines.

' _Nice! I could use a little competition here.'_ Bastion thought to himself with a smile.

"That's the way to do it! Yeah!" cheered Tea while Hope just clapped as hard and as fast as she could.

"Kaiba wasn't kidding. Those Synchro monsters just might revolutionize Duel Monsters." Joey admitted.

"Not to mention give us an edge over the XYZ monsters and those Number Cards." Mai added.

"We can worry about that later." Tristan said.

"Tristan's right. Yuma and the other Signers will eventually need to fight against the forces of darkness like we had to all those years ago. But for now, let him have his moment and enjoy his time at Duel Academy while he still can." Yugi suggested.

"Knowing Kaiba, he'll probably have Yuma placed right in Obelisk Blue immediately." Bakura commented. "That is, unless Yuma decides to start out in Slifer Red and work his way up that way. Which I'm fairly sure he will."

Yuma smiled as he pulled out Junkuriboh's card along with his Stardust Dragon and his Light and Darkness Dragon, and smiled at the creatures on the cards. He knew that he definitely couldn't have won without help from the little guy, and his two dragons knew this and have accepted him as a part of the deck. Which is hard to do when it comes to most dragon type monster card spirits.

' _We did it, little buddy! We won!'_ Yuma mentally said to Junkuriboh. ' _And starting today, consider us partners. You, me, and the two dragons who look after all creatures in this deck.'_

" _Kuri kuri!"_ Junkuriboh chirped in response with a wink.

And his two dragons gave a low rumble to show that they agreed with their human partner.

* * *

 _ ***To Be Continued…***_

* * *

 _ **Story Pairing: Yuma x Alexis R., Akiza Izinski (three more girls to be announced.)**_

 _ **Current Signers and their Dragons: Yuma (Stardust Dragon) (Five more to be announced)**_

* * *

 _ **Sorry if this duel wasn't as action packed as it could have been, but I don't quite remember all of the cards in Crowler's deck. Plus, I didn't want to make the duel resemble Jaden's too much. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed the show! I'm still accepting suggestions for potential Signers and the remaining three girls for the harem.**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Current Signers and their Dragons: Yuma (Stardust Dragon), and Akiza Izinski (Black Rose Dragon)**_

 _ ***I still don't own Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal, Yu-Gi-Oh GX, or Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's!***_

* * *

 _ **Dialogue Key**_

* * *

"Stardust Dragon!" = Normal Speech

 _'Stardust Dragon!' = Thoughts_

 _(Stardust Dragon [Monster/Synchro/Effect] Dragon/ WIND [8]_ _ **ATK: 2500/**_ _DEF: 2000) = Monster Card Stats_

 **"Stardust Dragon!" = Someone Yelling**

* * *

 _ **Going fast makes me feel alive**_

 _ **My heart beats in hyperdrive**_

 _ **Do you think you can win?**_

 _ **Only if I lose**_

 _ **Just let destiny choose**_

 _ **I can hear you breathin'**_

 _ **I can see you comin'**_

 _ **I can feel the wind**_

 _ **It's blowing me around**_

 _ **Take a shot at me runnin' side by side**_

 _ **It's a blur… as I go by**_

 _ **I can hear you breathin'**_

 _ **I can see you comin'**_

 _ **I can feel the wind**_

 _ **It's blowing me around**_

 _ **See the sun arising**_

 _ **Fire in the sky**_

 _ **Greatness thrusts itself into our lives**_

* * *

 _ **Welcome to Duel Academy!**_

* * *

Riding along in a luxury helicopter provided by Kaiba Corp, the Duel Academy applicants who passed their tests were all in high spirits and anticipation about their chance to prove themselves at Duel Academy. Yuma was especially happy with this. It meant he would no longer have to deal with the taunts from afar that his former friends instigated back when he was training with Yugi. And he certainly wouldn't have to deal with Astral's pathetic death glares. Honestly, Kaiba and Joey have scarier glares than that guy!

But more to the point here, Yuma looked out the window as he watched the waves of the ocean down below, simply enjoying the peace that he was feeling. The sights of the rolling waves and the pods of dolphins and porpoises swimming by certainly helped him to take his mind off of his fear of heights.

"Do you mind if I sit here?" asked a voice.

Yuma looked up and saw a certain blonde Obelisk student holding her carry on bag in her hand. Our hero felt an air of familiarity about her, but he wasn't quite sure why or how. But that doesn't matter at this time.

"Go right ahead. I don't mind having somebody to talk to." Yuma said, patting the seat next to him.

Alexis allowed herself a small smile at this behavior. He was being chivalrous, and yet he wasn't turning into a lovestruck, stuttering mess like most other men become when she approaches them or they approach her. Not to mention, from what she's seen, that he's a great duelist. So both of those reasons earn him a few good points in her book.

"Thank you." she said, taking a seat next to him. "My name's Alexis. Alexis Rhodes. If you can't tell from the colors of my uniform, I'm in the Obelisk Blue rank."

"Nice to meet you, Alexis. I'm Yuma, but I guess you already knew that from my entrance exam." Yuma said in response.

"How could I not? I saw the whole thing, and I have to say, you really showed your stuff with those new cards you used. They're pretty cool cards." Alexis complimented.

"Thanks. They really are one of a kind until Pegasus and Kaiba make more Synchro monsters, but Stardust Dragon truly is a one of a kind monster. He's one of my personal favorite cards, alongside Junkuriboh and one other monster." Yuma explained.

"What monster is that?" Alexis asked, raising a delicate eyebrow.

Yuma gave a teasing smile and pat Alexis's head, like she was a small child, causing the Obelisk Blue femme fatale to pout at his actions.

"Now, that would be telling, wouldn't it?" Yuma asked playfully. "By the way, do you think you could give me a little bit of a rundown on how the dorm sorting system works at Duel Academy. With all that's been happening recently, I clean forgot."

"Sure. It's really not too hard." Alexis replied as she began to explain. "You see, Duel Academy's students and faculty are divided into three different colors that represent the Egyptian God monster cards. Obelisk the Tormentor, Slifer the Sky Dragon, and The Winged Dragon of Ra. The Obelisk Blue dorm is the highest rank one can go as a student of this academy, but most of the time you need to go to a dueling prep school or buy your way in if you want to start there as a freshman. Very rarely do students start in Obelisk Blue due to their skills. The Ra Yellow dorm is sort of in the middle. They're generally those who are great at dueling and get good grades, but they're not good enough to be considered the best. Last, but not least, we have the Slifer Red dorm. This is the lowest ranking dorm where students don't get very high grades, nor are they that good at dueling. They've also earned themselves a few nasty nicknames such as the 'Red Drop-Outs' and the 'Slifer Slackers' due to many of the students either not caring about the work, or having to leave the academy early on due to being unable to pay the tuition costs. Now, I'm not really sure why the dorms are set up in this particular order, but my guess is that it has something to do with Kaiba's eternal rivalry with Yugi."

Yuma chuckled at the thought of Kaiba having a silent continuation of his rivalry with Yugi. He never was one to simply let go of the past. Especially when it comes to people beating him in a duel. He may have lightened up a bit over the years, but not enough to have a serious personality change. But that's what makes him so interesting.

"Yeah, you're probably right about that." Yuma remarked.

" _Attention, passengers, this is your captain speaking. We are now approaching Academy Island and will be beginning our descent shortly. Please fasten your seatbelts and make sure you have all of your belongings with you."_

"Well, I guess that ends this riveting conversation, doesn't it." quipped Yuma.

Alexis had to stifle a laugh at his dry humor. She couldn't help herself. Yuma seems to have this easily likeable personality that just draws people in and if she's being honest, she likes it. It's quite the welcome change from all the bozos she has to deal with on a regular basis. Especially those that she has to literally beat away with a stick. Still, she found it hard to contain her excitement at the prospect of going to a prestigious school like Duel Academy.

It wasn't too much longer before the students landed. Maybe two minutes at most. And as they all disembarked, Yuma finally got a good look at the school. A towering building that seemed to be divided into many different sections due to both the ranking system and the many different facilities (not to be mixed with the bathroom definition) the school has to offer. Inhaling deeply through his nose, Yuma smiled at the scent of nature that blessed his nostrils. He always has enjoyed camping out in the wilderness and living off the fat of the land.

Following the crowd, Yuma walked up to a booth where there were people handing out Duel Blazers and Academy Standard Duel Disks to the students. All based upon their rank. Kaiba had actually offered Yuma the chance to begin as an Obelisk Blue student in his freshman year, but he respectfully declined the offer stating that he'd rather start out at the lowest rank and work his way up. This way he could prove to the Obelisk Blue students who buy their way in that what matters is skill, and not money. Surprisingly, Kaiba wasn't mad in the slightest. He had a feeling that Yuma would want to start in Slifer Red, and one of the academy's best students, Koyo Hibiki, graduated with full honors as a Slifer Red and is one of the greatest pro duelists out there now.

When he got up to collect his blazer and Duel Disk, he was actually surprised to find that there was something about his blazer that was quite different from the others. Unlike the ordinary Slider Red blazers that are designed like leather jackets and come in the standard red with white accents or white with red accents, Yuma's blazer looked a bit more like the ones that are given to the male students in Obelisk Blue. It has a set of coattails that don't seem to be starched to all hell just so they'll defy gravity, and it's base color is a darker red, possibly maroon, while the accents are black. It also has a set of baubles on the shoulders that look like the same gems that grow out of Stardust Dragon's body.

"Excuse me, but why is my Blazer so much different from everyone else's?" Yuma asked.

"It was actually a request from Mister Pegasus. He wanted you to be able to show off a little more style and stand out amongst your peers. So he commissioned a custom Duel Blazer and Duel Disk for you." explained the man working in the booth. "Speaking of which, I almost forgot about your Duel Disk and PDA. The PDA has a set of instructions that you'll need to follow before the welcome speech today, so I advise heading to Chancellor Sheppard's office right away."

Yuma thanked the man after he was handed his PDA and a box containing his new Duel Disk before setting off for the Chancellor's office. He won't have any problems finding the place since he took the time to study the layout of the school before coming here, and if he's being honest, he's impressed. Kaiba really went all out when designing and building the place.

Of course, the credit for the building part goes to Kaiba's workers. Yuma's seen them and knows first hand that they're faster than Joey when he meets his favorite YouTubers at a convention. He's broken that habit, fortunately.

While he was walking, Yuma opened the box and was seriously impressed with his new Duel Disk. Design wise, it looks the same as all the other academy standard Duel Disks. However, the color scheme was a sort of inverted version of his blazer. The main color was an obsidian black while the red accents that show he's part of Slifer Red are maroon. Yuma had to admit, it's quite the welcome change.

Quickly slipping on the Duel Disk and inserting his deck into the deck slot, Yuma continued on until he was at the Chancellor's office. Standing outside the office was a young woman wearing a maroon blazer similar to his own, only this one lacks the coattails and has white accents instead of black.

"Excuse me, miss? My name is Yuma, and I'm here to see Chancellor Sheppard. Is he in right now?" Yuma asked.

The woman looked up from the files she was sorting and gave a friendly smile as she saw the young man who matched the Chancellor's description of the one who he sent for. She had a feeling he'd be visiting soon, and was actually glad to see that he's quite punctual.

"Ah yes, the Chancellor told me that you'd be visiting today. Go right on inside." she said with a kind smile. "My name's Annabelle, by the way, and I'm the Chancellor's secretary."

"Well, it was nice meeting you, Annabelle. Hope you enjoy the rest of your day." Yuma said politely.

The woman gave a nod of thanks as she got back to her work, which was thankfully less than normal, and Yuma walked into the Chancellor's office. Sitting at the desk was a man who looked like he was in his mid to late forties with a bald head, a gray beard, tan skin, and wearing a maroon duel blazer just like Yuma does. But like Annabelle, the accents on his blazer are also white instead of black. Yuma had to grin at the sight of the familiar uniform.

' _Nice to see the head honcho here holds the Slifer Reds in high regard.'_

"Ah, Yuma! You're early!" Sheppard exclaimed in a jovial manner. "Please, take a seat. Make yourself comfortable."

Yuma simply walked in and sat down in the offered chair, glad to get off his feet after all of that walking.

"So, what's this about, Chancellor?" Yuma asked. "I feel like this is more than just a simple talk about the weather."

"You're right, Yuma. Kaiba and Pegasus told me about the Signers and how you are one of them. Your Stardust Dragon is proof of you being one. I have reason to believe that the other five are going to be attending Duel Academy and shall be discovered as the year progresses. That's where you come in." Sheppard explained. "I need you to be my eyes and ears. Someone who can alert Pegasus, Yugi, Kaiba, or myself whenever a new Signer has been found. Once you've found and reported who the new Signer is, we'll then use a special scanner to determine which of the other five dragons is their partner and recreate that dragon as a card along with making a set of Tuner monsters to go with it. So what do you say? You in?"

* * *

 _ ***To Be Continued…***_


End file.
